Animal-trap.



J. N. HOFFMAN- ANIMAL TRAP.

APPLICATION man MAR. 13. |916.

1,2%@5 l 7 Patented May 15, 1917.

JOHN 1v. HOFFMAN, or ronns'r GROVE, OREGON,

.ANIMAL-TRAP.

Application iled March 13,

To all 'whom it may conce/rn.'

Be it lv'nown that I, JOHN N. Horriiiima Y citizen of the United States, residing at Forest Grove, in the county of "Washington and State of Oregon, have invented certain new and useful lniproveinents in Animal- Traps; and l do declare the following to be a full, clear, and eXact description of the invention, suoli as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appei'tains to make and use the saine.

This invention relates t-o new and useful improvements in animal traps.

rlhe main object of the invention is to provide an animal trap of this character which is of a very simple and durable construction, and one which will be found very eiiicient in operation. u

A further object of this invention is to provide a device of this character which will be inexpensive to manufacture, and one which will form a safe device to set and re lease. p

lilith these and numerous other objects in view, my invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts which will be hereinafter more particularly described and claimed. v

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan viewv of my new and improved trap;

Fig. 2 is a central vertical longitudinal section taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section tal-:en on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a detail plan view of a. portion of the base of said trap showing the upstruclr vertical ears with the bar and trigger removed from over the saine.

ln describing my invention l shall refer to the accompanying drawings in which sin lar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views and in which the numeral 1 designates a substantially rectangular shaped sheet nietal )ase plate which is stamped or punched from a single piece of metal which has formed thereon, upwardly projecting side walls 2, and a corresponding rear wall 3. The base 1 is also provided across its front edge with an upwardly projecting lip 4. and the adjacent portions of the side walls have sloping upper edges 5 which extend down- Specicatioii of Letters Patent.

i Patented May i5, isi?.

i916. `serali No. 83,898.

wardly from a point' intermediate their ends, to the front end of the said base, with their terminals disposed in a single plane with the upper edge of the lip.

' Intermediate the ends of the side walls 2, is a transversely extending hinge bar 6, upon which is hinged a spring actuated .jaw 7 which is substantially U-shaped and is disposed between tlie side walls 2, with its free ends 8 engaging the bar G. The cross meinber 9 of said jaw is provided with a slot 10 4therethrough adjacent one end for a purpose to be hereinafter more fully described. A coil spring 11 surrounds the bar G and one end 12 of the saine extends through the opening in the cross member 9 of the jaw, while the other end 13 of said spring extends rearwardly along the base 1. The coil spring 11 by this arrangement, will normally lioldtlie jaw 7 ldown against the base 1 with-the cross ineinber 9 of the saine disposed adjacent the lip 4 at its front end7 the said lip being low enough so as not to engage the projecting end 14 of the arm 12 of the spring when the jaw is in this position.

The rear wall 3 of the base 1 is provided adjacent one side with a slotted opening 15 therein,A and a hinged pintle 16 is positioned therethrough a short distance below said opening and at one side ofthe same. This pintle 16 projects inwardly from the wall 8 and has pivotally mounted thereon a inovable member 17 which is secured to the pintle at one end as shown at 18, the said end being notched above the same as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings. rlhe rear wall 3 is also provided with a vertically eX- tending slot 19 adjacent the Vopposite end of the movable inemlier 17 and said end of the movable ineniber'has a circular opening 20 therethrough alining with the slot 19.

The trap is provided with a longitudinally extending flat trigger 21 which has its rear end 22 contracted and adapted to be positioned through the opening 20, and the slot 19 in the adjacent portions of the pivoted member 17 and the rear wall 3. The forward end 23 of the trigger 21 is provided with some bait-holding means and is secured adj acent the lip 4 at the front of the base 1. Struck up from the bottom of the base 1, adjacent the rear end of the same are a pair of longitudinally extending vertical parallel ears 24 which have their upper edges 25 disposed in a single plane. Positioned above the ears 24 is a transversely extending bar 26 which has its opposite ends mounted in the side walls 2 of the base as shown at 27, and said bar eX- tends across the ears 241 intermediate the end of the same. The trigger 21 has a portion 28 adjacent the rear end disposed between the parallel ears 24, and said portion is bent substantially U-shaped as shown at 29 so that it surrounds the lower portion of the bar 26 across said ears, and forms a half socket to receive the same. The lower surface 30 of the substantially U-shaped bent portion of the trigger rests upon the base 1 between the ears 2li and is adapted to rock thereon upon depression of the trigger. This arrangement forms a pivotal means whereby the trigger may be rocked to operate the trap. The vertical ears 211 extend upwardly only a short distance from the base 1, being approximately of a height slightly more than the thickness of the trigger 21 so that the bent portion of the same that is disposed therebetween and beneath the bar 26 that lies across the upper edge of the ears will just have sufficient space therebetween to enable it to rock freely and without any danger of the same becoming loosened and disengaged. This arrangement will also prevent any lateral movement of the trigger 21.

The operation of this device is as follows:

When the trap is to be set, the jaw 7 is thrown in set position, which motion will bring the projecting end 14; of the arm 12 of the spring 11 into the slotted recess 15 in the rear wall 3 of the trap. When the spring end 14: is pushed laterally, it will enter the portion of the slot to one side beneath the opening, and at the same time will force the pivoted member 17 downwardly. This action will elevate the forward end of the trigger 21. When the bait on the forward end of the trigger is disturbed, the same will be depressed, which will cause the pivoted member 17 to rise, thereby throwing the projecting end 14 of the spring outward, so that it will be in alinement with the opening in the recess 15, whereby the action of the spring 11 will throw the jaw 7 violently forward to its normal position as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. This movement will bring the cross member 9 of the jaw downwardly with great force adjacent the lip il, and parallel therewith, whereby the animal will be caught therebetween.

' Attention is particularly called to the construction the applicant employs in pivoting the bait holdingI trigger 21 which is used in this device. The portion of the trigger 21 that is disposed between the vertical ears 24 is bent substantially U-shaped so that -it forms a half socket that receives the lower portion of the bar 26 that extends across the upper edge of said ears. This will firmly and securely hold the trigger from any lateral movement, as the `rip-struck ears 24 are positioned parallel just suflicient distance from each other so as to allow a portion of the flat trigger to be positioned therebetween. As has been hereinbefore stated, the ears 14C are of a height approximately a little more than the thickness of the trigger 2l, hence, just a suflicient space will be left between the bar 26 and the upper surface of the base between the ears to allow the bent portion of the trigger' that is disposed therebetween to rock freely, but without any possibility of the same being disengaged therefrom. This pivotal arrangement forms a very simple and economical construction which may be employed in traps of this character. In'this class of traps, simplicity is one of the most essential features and the above described arrange ment employs the same to a great advantage.

From the foregoing description, the construction and operation of this device, the manner of applying the same to use, and the operation thereof will be readily understood and it will be seen that I have provided a simple and eliicient device of this character for carrying out the objects of the invention.

I claim as my invention:

An animal trap comprising a rectangular shaped stationary metallic base having integral upturned side walls and a rear wall, a pair of spaced parallel longitudinally extending ears struck up from said base adjacent one end, a pivot bar extending transversely across said basel and engaging the upper edges of said ears intermediate their ends, a longitudinally extending flat bait- -holding trigger on the upper surface of said base disposed between said upstruck ears and of a width slightly less than the width between said ears, a portion of the trigger between the ears being bent substantially U- shaped with its outer surface adapted to rock upon the base and its inner surface surrounding the lower portion of the transversely extending bar above said ears which forms a guide for said portion when rocked by the depression of the trigger, a spring actuated jaw hinged between the side walls of said base, a pivoted member on the rear wall of said base adapted to engage said jaw when the same is under spring tension and movable to release the same, and a connection between said member and the trigger to move the member upon the depression of the trigger.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN N. HOFFMAN. Witnesses:

CARL HOFFMAN, T. H. LITTLEHALES.

'Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing ythe Commissioner of Eatents,

Washington, ZD. 0. i 

